Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco shown here at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay last May 24, 2023. (File photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / 黑料社)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco assured Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday that Mayon Volcano and Albay would still be part of the government鈥檚 tourism promotion program, saying that the newest advertisement was just the start of the campaign.
Frasco said this in an interview with GMA Network鈥檚 鈥�23 Oras鈥� on Wednesday 鈥� transcripts of which were sent to reporters 鈥� after Salceda called out the Department of Tourism (DOT) for failing to include the Mayon Volcano in its latest marketing campaign.
Salceda went ballistic on social media, claiming that the DOT had failed Albay residents, as a lot of them rely on tourism as a source of livelihood.
鈥淭he tourism video that has just been released by the Department of Tourism is only the beginning for indeed, there is just so much to love about our country,鈥� Frasco said.
鈥淪o I assure Congressman Joey Salceda that we will continue our effort to promote equally our destinations in the country. This is just the beginning to give the world a flavor and a taste of the Philippines.鈥�
In a series of Facebook posts and in an earlier statement, Salceda said he was disappointed with the decision of his friend 鈥� Frasco 鈥� to drop Mayon Volcano from the promotional advertisement.
The lawmaker added that he grew frustrated even more after he was told not to fret since Mayon was represented in the final logo 鈥� which he said is not easily recognizable as it is a mere pixel 鈥� and that the volcano is part of the 50 major volcanoes and mountains.
Salceda, a former Albay governor, was referring to the country鈥檚 new 鈥淟ove the Philippines鈥� slogan, which was launched on Tuesday as part of the DOT鈥檚 50th founding anniversary.
A day after, DOT released a video running one minute and 45 seconds highlighting the activities that foreigners can do in the Philippines.
However, noticeably missing from the shots is Mayon Volcano. In the logo that was presented by DOT, the near-perfect cone of the volcano could not be easily recognized either.
鈥淚 remain disappointed in my friend, Secretary Frasco, for the exclusion of Mayon Volcano in the new official tourism video of the Philippines.聽聽I am more disappointed in the response that I should not bring this issue up because, anyway, Mayon is included in the 50 major volcanoes and mountains represented (by a pixel!) in the official tourism logo and slogan,鈥� Salceda said.
鈥淚 express this frustration because tourism is disproportionately more crucial in Albay, and Bicol at large. This is how thousands of Albayano families make a living. It would not have cost much to include just a scene of Mayon, but it would have meant the world to Albay families relying on tourism for their bread and butter,鈥� he added.
Salceda also asked Frasco to ask past DOT chiefs about how crucial tourism campaigns were to Albay and vice versa, noting that during his stint as Albay governor, tourist arrivals swelled from 123,000 in 2006 to 1.4 million in 2015.
Frasco said that the DOT would be holding a caravan in the Bicol Region that would focus on heritage, culture, and arts.
鈥淐ongressman Joey Salceda is a friend and a personal friend of our family for many years. He has been a very staunch ally for Philippine Tourism, especially with his successes as the governor of Albay, and we certainly honor and recognize the contributions of the province to the tourism portfolio of the country,鈥� Frasco said.
鈥淲e, in fact, are holding the Philippine Experience: Heritage, Culture, and Arts Caravan in the Bicol Region, it would have been this July but given the circumstances in the region at the moment, tentatively it has been set for August and our regional offices has been in coordination with our local government units there.鈥�